Program Directors

Amilcar Castellano-Sanchez, M.D.

Amilcar Castellano-Sanchez has been Associate Professor in the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine in the Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine (HWCOM) since its inception. . Dr. Castellano-Sanchez trained in Anatomic & Clinical Pathology at Mount Sinai Medical Center, Miami Beach and served two additional post-doctoral fellowships in Neuropathology at Emory University in Atlanta and Hematopathology at Barnes-Jewish Hospital/University of Saint Louis; since his return to south Florida, he has been the Coordinator for Teaching and Research at the Department of Pathology in Mount Sinai. Currently he teaches to the Pathology residents at Mount Sinai Medical Center and during the first three years of medical school here at FIU. He was honored by HWCOM’s first class to receive the Teacher of the Year Award and as Co-Director also received the Best Pre-Clinical Course Award from the same class. Beginning Fall 2016, he will be teaching a Global Learning rated course titled: “History of Medicine through Art” for the Honors College. His research interest includes neoplastic hematologic and non-hematologic diseases, brain tumors and particularly lymphomas in brain tissue. In addition, Dr. Castellano-Sanchez is a volunteer Docent at the Patricia and Phillip Frost Art Museum at FIU and is passionate about anything that combines goodness, enrichment, personal growth / community growth and community engagement. He enjoys teaching and hopes to convey and exchange ideas with his students.

Contact: castelam@fiu.edu

Carlos Roberto Chavarría, M.S.

Carlos Roberto Chavarría, Forest Engineer with Master of Nature Tourism Management specializing in management of protected areas, economic activities based on the sustainable use of natural resources, and climate change adaptation. Between 2009 and 2011 he has worked with the National Chamber of Tourism of Costa Rica, in the Carbon Neutral Strategy 2020. During 2011 and 2012 participated in the Marketing Commision of Costa Rican Tourism Institute, advising on environmental issues, the various promotional campaigns locally and internationally. In his work with Tirimbina Biological Reserve, has been developing a financial sustainability model for a conservation NGO, which has managed to generate resources for the development of environmental education programs and scientific research.

He has developed several activities in the area of management of Protected Areas and Biological Corridors in Costa Rica. He has worked with Cacao and Coffee Farmers Cooperatives to implement best environmental practices in the production process, and identification of value added to the product.

Contact: cchavarr@fiu.edu

Harry Roberge, B.A.

Harry Roberge, a Vietnam War veteran working as an interpreter and translator for the Army during the war, has been living and working in SE Asia for 13 years. He has traveled extensively through Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, the Philippines and Indonesia. He is currently directing an NGO sponsoring the education of underprivileged Cambodian children. He has spent the last 7 years introducing people to SE Asian history and culture by acting as a guide for small groups wishing to get an inside view of the uniqueness of each country, its people, culture, and the role these countries have played in the geopolitical history of the United States, the Soviet Union and China. As the facilitator for the Honors Vietnam-Cambodia Study Abroad Program, he has introduced FIU students to the region’s beauty, cultural aspects and history through lectures, movies, literature and music. He has also supervised the service project of the program, through which students teach English to future Cambodian teachers at the teacher training college in Siem Reap, Cambodia.

Contact: hroberge@fiu.edu

James M. Sutton, Ph.D.

Professor James Sutton was born and raised in Michigan; he received undergraduate and Master’s degrees in English from Northwestern and Michigan and holds a Ph.D. in Renaissance Studies (1995) from Yale. His early research focused on the interplay of art, architecture, dramatic performance, politics, and court intrigue in England during the reigns of Queen Elizabeth I and King James I. He currently teaches and studies Shakespeare and his plays’ global appropriation and adaptation, focusing on Slovenia and South Florida. He recently co-edited a book entitled Exile in Global Literature and Culture: Homes Found and Lost, with FIU colleague Professor Asher Milbauer. This publication has led to further inquiry on the relationship of Shakespeare to exile and dislocation. Sutton is an Associate Professor in FIU’s English department, which he chaired from 2008-2016. In early 2017, Sutton spent six months in Slovenia, teaching literature at two Slovenian universities and travelling widely about central Europe. He joined the FIU Honors College—a long term goal—in the fall of 2017 and takes pride in teaching IDH 1001 and 1002 as part of the famous Gerstman/Abukhodeir/Sutton POD ever since. Long the co-director of the successful FIU Study Abroad program, “Shakespeare in England,” Professor Sutton created and launched this Honors College UK program in 2019, journeying to London, York, Scotland and the Highlands, the Lake District, Manchester, and Stratford-upon-Avon. Although Covid-19 nixed travel abroad in 2020 and 2021, Sutton successfully jump-started the program once again in 2022, leading a fantastic group of 20 students to London, Oxford, Manchester and Liverpool, Belfast and Northern Ireland, Wales, and Bath + Stonehenge. In 2023, he seeks a new cohort of 20 adventurous, curious students prepared for new endeavors in England and Ireland. If you have any questions, please reach out to him at suttonj@fiu.edu.

Cesar Castillo, M.A.

Cesar Castillo is a cultural anthropologist and Program Director for the FIU Honors Japan Study Abroad. As Program Director Cesar teaches on Japanese Indigenous Ainu culture, Edo period society, and contemporary Indigenous affairs. As program director, Cesar combines his fieldwork experience and intimate knowledge of Ainu culture with broader global perspectives to immerse students in global cultural exchange. Cesar earned his MA in Latin American and Caribbean Studies and BA in Sociology and Anthropology at FIU.

As a PhD. Student at the Department of Global and sociocultural studies. Cesar’s research is centered around academic tourism and educational experiences between study-abroad students and Indigenous communities in Latin America and Japan. His research stems from his long engagement with indigenous communities in Ecuador, Costa Rica, and Japan as well as passion for immersive education.

Professionally, Cesar’s a seasoned researcher who has worked in both private and public industries. Specializing in qualitative methodologies, Cesar facilitates cross-cultural understanding for business communication and global brand strategy, fostering inclusive product design across various industries such as education, consumer goods, and pharmaceuticals.

Contact: ccast235@fiu.edu

Magda Novelli Pearson, PHD

Magda Novelli Pearson, PHD, is the Italian Program Coordinator and Teaching Professor at FIU. She directs three different Study Abroad in Italy, and the Grand Tour with Honors will be her 4th one. Magda interests are painting, reading, cooking, aerial yoga, thriller movies, and fashion.

Her passion is to travel.

Contact: pearsonm@fiu.edu

Trina Sanders, Ed.D.

Trina Sanders is an Instructional Design Manager for FIU Online, supporting the College of Arts, Sciences, and Education. In her role, she oversees a team of Instructional Designers and Specialists in the production of over 400 fully-online and hybrid courses each semester. Trina is also an Adjunct Professor currently teaching The Power of Black Music in America: Its History, Language, and Culture From the Past Until Today for the Honors College and the First Year Experience Course for the Divison of Academic and Career Success. Trina is a lifelong learner with over 20 years of experience in Corporate Training and Development, in both asynchronous and synchronous learning environments. She obtained a Doctor of Education with concentrations in Organizational Leadership, and in Instructional Technology and Distance Education from Nova Southeastern University. She also holds a Master of Science in Adult Education and a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science from North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University. On a personal note, Trina enjoys reading novels and volunteering in her community. She is also a proud member of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc.

Contact: trsander@fiu.edu